Dragons (Histories
"Dragons" is part of the Histories & Lore, a special feature from Game of Thrones: The Complete Fourth Season. It is narrated by Julian Glover as Grand Maester Pycelle. Synopsis Grand Maester Pycelle recounts the mysterious origins, magical powers, and inexplicable downfall of history's last generation of dragons. Narration Pycelle: Fire made flesh. Such is the nature of dragons, claimed the eastern mystics. For once, they may have a point, though not the one they think. '' ''Fire ''consumes, leaving at its end naught but ash. Thus, the fate of the Targaryens and their dragons.'' Thousands of years ago, Valyrians stumbled on the first dragon eggs in the mountains of the Fourteen Fires. I cannot imagine that shepherds could hatch dragon eggs and bind such creatures to their will, but whatever aid they must have had is lost to history. '' ''Every educated person knows how the dragonlords then conquered most of the known world. '' ''Breaking the ancient Ghiscari Empire, enslaving a continent, building roads and bridges that still stand today, though the art that made them is lost. An empire of marvels and misery. '' ''And now what is left of Valyria? A smoking wasteland. Ash. In time, Aegon Targaryen and his sisters brought their three dragons, who had escaped the Doom, to Westeros, perhaps thinking to regain his people's lost glory. And so he did. '' ''On the Field of Fire, he proved that armies were no match for dragons. At Harrenhal, he proved that mighty castles weren't either. Aegon Targaryen became Aegon the Conquerer, First of His Name, founder of a dynasty. His first act? To order his dragon, Balerion the Black Dread, to melt the swords of his beaten foes into his new Iron Throne. For over a hundred years, the Targaryen dragons cemented their breeders' hold on the Seven Kingdoms, if not each other. When Targaryen fought Targaryen in the civil war called the Dance of the Dragons, an angry mob stormed the Dragonpit, that huge, now-ruined vault where Targaryens stabled their beasts. '' ''Thousands died, but through sheer numbers and madness, five of the Targaryen dragons lay dead by the morning, which was perhaps too many. '' ''Thereafter, each generation of dragons grew smaller than its parents'. Their skulls used to line the throne room of the Red Keep in order of birth. The oldest, Balerion, could swallow an ox whole. The last skull was barely the size of a dog's. Yet the Targaryens never stopped trying to revive their dragons. Aerion Brightflame drank a draught of wildfire and burned to death. Aegon the Fifth tried to hatch stone dragon eggs with sorcery and burned to death. '' ''Against these, Aerys the Second looks almost sensible. He only burned other men to death. Now, we hear rumors that the young Daenerys Targaryen has hatched three dragons far to the east. If she were to be so foolish as to march on Westeros, she will not find, as her ancestor Aegon did, seven disparate kingdoms frightened by strange beasts. '' ''She will find a continent united behind Lord Tywin Lannister, who extinguished her own father's flame. And we have known dragons now, we have seen them die. Appearances Characters *Aegon I Targaryen, the "Conqueror" *Visenya Targaryen *Rhaenys Targaryen *Balerion, the Black Dread *Vhagar (not mentioned by name) *Meraxes (not mentioned by name) *Prince Aemond Targaryen (not mentioned by name) *Prince Daemon Targaryen (not mentioned by name) *Caraxes (not mentioned by name) *Hobb the Hewer (not mentioned by name) *Shrykos (indirectly mentioned) *Morghul (indirectly mentioned) *Tyraxes (indirectly mentioned) *Syrax (indirectly mentioned) *Dreamfyre (not mentioned by name) *Prince Aerion Targaryen, "Brigthflame" *King Aegon V Targaryen, the "Unlikely" *King Aerys II Targaryen, the "Mad King" *Lord Tywin Lannister *Grand Maester Pycelle (not mentioned by name) *Daenerys Targaryen (mentioned) *Drogon (indirectly mentioned) *Viserion (indirectly mentioned) *Rhaegal (indirectly mentioned) Noble Houses *House Targaryen *House Lannister Locations *Valyrian Peninsula **Fourteen Fires **Old Valyria *Harrenhal (mentioned) *King's Landing **The Dragonpit **Red Keep ***Great Hall (Red Keep) Realms *Valyrian Freehold (mentioned) *Ghiscari Empire (mentioned) Events *Valyrian-Ghiscari Wars (indirectly mentioned) *Doom of Valyria (indirectly mentioned) *War of Conquest **Field of Fire **Burning of Harrenhal *Dance of the Dragons **Battle Above the Gods Eye **Storming of the Dragonpit *Tragedy of Summerhall (indirectly mentioned) Miscellaneous *Dragons *Valyrians *Iron Throne (mentioned) *Wildfire pt-br:Dragões (História e Tradição) fr:Dragons (Histoires & Traditions) Category:Histories & Lore Category:Dragons